The government has set a target of bringing 19m homes up to standard by 2035. But the Spring Statement and Energy Security Day announcements contained little to make that goal a reality – and nothing to tackle the retrofit skills shortage holding back progress, says Cara Jenkinson, cities manager at Ashden
Upgrading the UK’s cold and draughty homes is an enormous, urgent challenge. Cost-of-living concerns have pushed the issue into the headlines – but action is also vital for hitting national carbon targets. A huge effort to insulate walls, install new doors and windows, and introduce heat pumps and other modern technology is needed up and down the UK. As well as boosting living standards, this could bring big benefits to the construction sector and local economies. But only if we tackle that crucial retrofit skills shortage.
More than 400,000 builders and retrofit professionals are needed to do the job, but just 250,000 people currently work on maintaining and upgrading the nation’s homes. There are currently under 3,000 retrofit coordinators – people trained to oversee the management and design of all retrofit measures – but forecasts suggest that 50,000 may be needed by 2030. Just 3,000 heating engineers are trained to install heat pumps, less than 5% of the total plumbing and heating workforce.
Progress demands action from the public and private sectors. The UK’s big construction firms are set to deliver large, government-funded schemes like the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund on behalf of councils. This is a great opportunity to work with their supply chains to boost skills, not just by creating opportunities for specialist retrofit assessors and coordinators, but by supporting existing trades to tackle retrofit – like training plasterers to install external wall insulation.
Retrofit pioneers develop new ways to upgrade homes
Elsewhere, a raft of retrofit pioneers are developing new ways to upgrade homes, and ensuring the benefits are felt across society. Their stories highlight the potential to build a dynamic, inclusive retrofit sector appealing to young people and others seeking work.
Innovators include Q-Bot – the company uses remote-controlled robots to insulate underfloor spaces. This offers a less intrusive and quicker solution than the traditional method of prising up floorboards.
Meanwhile, Stockport’s B4Box is driving inclusivity with a unique approach, built on a partnership with Stockport Homes Group. The organisation is an integrated construction training provider and retrofit specialist, making homes more energy efficient and creating green jobs in communities badly affected by fuel poverty.
B4Box combines multi-trade skills training – covering joinery, plastering, tiling, roofing and more – with a guarantee of employment. The organisation focuses on recruiting local people, particularly those who face challenges finding work or are under-represented in construction.
Local authorities and colleges are key players in the retrofit skills challenge. The two come together in the NetZero Training Hub – a new partnership between Portsmouth City Council and the City of Portsmouth College.
The hub will equip local people with the skills to work in the green economy. Retrofit training at the hub will be linked to a pilot project delivering whole-house retrofit to up to 30 charity-owned homes – creating guaranteed employment for trainees.
For the local authority, demonstrating its own commitment and ambition on retrofit is crucial to encouraging local SMEs to invest in training too.
Government must solve the retrofit skills shortage to support retrofit schemes
The government may have acknowledged the scale of the retrofit challenge, but so far its response has been underwhelming – particularly when it comes to boosting skills.
In his Spring Statement, the chancellor pledged to invest £20bn in carbon capture technology. This money could have retrofitted millions of homes, tackling fuel poverty and boosting local economies. A new Great British Insulation Scheme unveiled on Energy Security Day turned out to be no more than a rebranding of the already announced ECO+ scheme. There’s also a shortage of effective policies closing the retrofit skills gap.
Priorities for the government should include integrating skills development into government-funded retrofit schemes. This could be through minimum procurement criteria or through social value clauses that encourage the use of local SMEs and the provision of apprenticeships for local people. Larger programmes should have specified skills outcomes.
Other issues to tackle include reforming and supporting apprenticeships and restoring the adult education budget to 2010 levels. Underpinning all of this should be a detailed national skills plan, and sustained commitment to retrofit – stop-start policies are fatal for industry confidence, which is particularly important when it comes to a long-term challenge like boosting skills.
Whether the government steps up or not, retrofit is a golden opportunity for the construction sector to deliver economic growth and social impact, particularly in the most marginalised corners of the UK. Acting now to support skills will bring benefits for decades to come.
